KY SPORTS LEGENDS: YOUNG GUNS

By Photos Courtesy Of University Of Kentucky Athletics Department And TOPS Staff

John Wall

Benny Snell, Jr.

Anthony Davis

Collin Cowgill

Sydney McLaughlin

Randall Cobb II

Demarcus Cousins

Last March, we featured some of the all-time legends of University of Kentucky sports history. This year, we wanted to tip our hats to some of the players who are building Kentucky’s legend right now – stars who have gone pro in recent years or who are shining on the world stage, building the future legend of our storied sports programs and doing the BBN proud!

RANDALL COBB II2008-2010

• Second-round NFL draft pick by the Green Bay Packers

• Arguably the most versatile, dynamic playmaker in UK football history, serving as the team’s wide receiver, quarterback, punt returner and kickoff returner

• 2-year first-time All-SEC

• Secored FIVE game-winning fourth-quarter touchdowns during his career

• Tied an NFL record with a 108-yard kick return in 2011 (set by Ellis Hobbs)

BENNY SNELL JR.2016-2018

• First player in school history with three 1,000-yard seasons(1,091 in 2016; 1,333 in 2017; 1,449 in 2018)

• 3rd Rank in SEC history in rushing touchdowns

• Recorded his 40th career touchdown in just 31 games, the second fastest to do so in SEC history

• First player in program history to have four touchdowns in a game twice in a career(vs. New Mexico State in 2016 and vs. Mississippi State in 2018)

• Many mock NFL drafts have Benny going between rounds 2-3

• 14 broken or tied school records

ANTHONY DAVIS2011-2012

• National Freshman of the Year, SEC Player of the Year, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year, 2017 NBA All-Star MVP, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist

• Led Kentucky to the 2012 NCAA National Championship

• First overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets and signed a three years contract worth $16 million

• Shattered the single-season school record for blocks with 186, which ranks as the fourth in NCAA history

• Fifth-round pick by Arizona in the 2008 MLB Draft

• He has played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Cleveland Indians and has signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals.

JOHN WALL2009-2010

• First No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick in UK history

• Led Kentucky to a No. 1 national ranking, SEC regular-season championship and the SEC Tournament Championship

• He is the Washington Wizards franchise career leader in assists and steals

• Named 2010 USBWA National Freshman of the Year, Consensus first-team All-American, 2010 SEC Player of the Year by Associated Press and SEC Coaches, SEC Freshman of the Year by the AP, First-team All-SEC and SEC Tournament MVP

• 5-time NBA All-Star

DEMARCUS COUSINS2009-2010

• On his nickname: “I would be playing ball and I would do moves that guards would do and Coach Strickland said, ‘Man, you got a lot of Boogie.’ Every time I walked into the gym he would say, ‘What’s up Boogie!’ and it just stuck.”

• In 2018, became the first NBA player to record 40 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game since 1972 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)